Love Chronicles
by Screaming Siopao
Summary: Tales of courtship and the drama that it brings along. Stories of passions and romances that have just begun to flourish.
1. Entranced

**Screaming Siopao: **_Sup! This is my first "__ppgz" _story. Romance/slight comedy. Rated T, just in case. Each new chapter will focus on different characters. This section will be featuring **Kaoru **and **Butch**. The next portion will feature Miyako, and so on. Please enjoy _Love Chronicles_!

_**Disclaimer: **_Powerpuff Girls Z and its characters do not belong to me, nor do I profit from this fan-made fictional story. The plots are, however, mine.

**Love Chronicles**

**Part I - Kaoru - Entranced**

_**Sunday, October 12**__**th**__**;;**_

"Ah, wow!" Kaoru exclaimed as she looked through a display window of a skating shop. She, Momoko, and Miyako were taking a stroll down a street in Tokyo on a sunny Sunday afternoon. The city had been quite quiet these days and it has been rare that they would ever have to kick butt as Powerpuff Girls Z. It was especially quiet since Him and his "cute" little black particles weren't around anymore. Right now, a flashy new toy caught Kaoru's eyes. "Th-that skateboard is amazing! The design and quality are super awesome!"

Miyako and Momoko smiled.

"Kaoru, you haven't changed a bit since we first met," Miyako said. "Even after knowing you for about three years now."

"You bet!" Momoko chimed in. "Anyway, why don't you stop drooling all over that shop's glass and just buy the skateboard already?"

"Gee," Kaoru replied. "I would _love _to. Except for the fact that I'm flat out broke."

"Well, that's your own shameful fault then," Momoko said.

"What!?" Kaoru exclaimed. "It's more your fault, for dragging us around and forcing us to buy sweets and junk food!"

"Now, now," Miyako said, attempting to calm the fiery brunette. She was always breaking up fights between these two. "Why don't you just get a job, Kaoru? You just turned sixteen last month. There are lots of job opportunities for you out there."

"Hmm," Kaoru considered. "Maybe that's not such a bad idea." Kaoru looked back at the skateboard on the display window. _"I'll be back for you, count on it."_

And with that, the three girls returned to their stroll along the streets of Tokyo.

_**The Following Day…**_

"Eh!? What!?" Kaoru yelled in her classroom. It was break time and the three girls were chatting amongst each other. Well, _Kaoru _was screaming. "No! No way!"

"Huh?" Miyako said. "But, I thought you wanted a job," she said as she continued to hold up an employee application to Cure Maid Café.

"Not there!" Kaoru protested. "I was sort of thinking about applying after school at a sports equipment store or an ice cream parlor, or something cool."

"But this _is _cool," Miyako said. "You can wear a super cute maid outfit!"

Momoko laughed.

"I'd love to see Kaoru in one of those! I'd come to the café and see you everyday!" Momoko teased. "That'd be pretty hilarious!"

"What'll be hilarious is my fist in your face!" Kaoru raged as she chased Momoko around their classroom.

"Kaoru! Stop!" Miyako said, and Kaoru complied. Afterall, she did not want to receive a detention from Sensei this year. "If you don't want to work at Cure Maid Café, then you don't have to. I just thought it would be really fun. I would work there, but I have to take care of Oba-sama at home."

"Ah, really Miyako, I appreciate you trying to help, but it's just not my style. Thanks anyways," Kaoru said and smiled.

Miyako understood, and smiled back.

_**The Following Day… Again…**_

The classroom door flung open, causing multiple heads to turn.

In strolled a hopeless-looking Kaoru.

"Ne, Kaoru!" Momoko said. "What's the matter? Didn't get hired at the sports equipment store?" she joked.

Kaoru glared at her and was about ready to rip her throat out, but sighed instead and plopped down on her desk.

"Actually… they weren't really looking for any extra hands," Kaoru explained. "I searched all over Tokyo. It's as if no stores around here need any employment!" she cried.

"Except for Cure Maid Café," Miyako cheerfully sang. Kaoru groaned.

"No. Never."

"Then I guess you'll never get your precious skateboard," Momoko chimed in.

Kaoru groaned yet again. She had no choice. She couldn't believe it.

"Give me the stupid application," Kaoru coldly ordered.

Miyako and Momoko giggled.

This was going to be interesting.

**o0o0o0o**

"I. Hope. You're. Happy," Kaoru growled between her gritted teeth and glared evilly at Miyako.

She was, surprisingly, hired at Cure Maid Café and it was her first day as an official employee. She had only begun working an hour earlier, but already hated it. Her next task was to serve two cups of jasmine tea and short cakes to Momoko and Miyako's table. She approached the table wearing her new get-up. It was a simple maid outfit, with green cloth, white lace, a white apron, and a laced katyusha (head-piece). She also wore laced high socks and platform mary-janes.

"_Agh, At least it's green…"_

Miyako sweat-dropped.

"Ah, please don't be mad at me Kaoru-san!" Miyako pleaded. "Y-You really do look cute in that outfi--" Miyako was interrupted by a loud, obnoxious laugh.

"BAHAHAHA!" Momoko bawled. "KAORU… MAID… TEA…! BWAHAHAHA!"

**GONK**_**!**_

Momoko received a blow on her head by Kaoru's serving tray.

"Shut up or else I'll get fired from this place for murdering you," Kaoru grunted.

Momoko rubbed the big, fat bump on her head and simply nodded.

"I'm so quitting after my shift. This dress is itchy. It's humid in here. The curtains are too pink. The men who come here are perverts, and plus, my boss forces me to smile all the time and act all bubbly," she complained.

"B-but your skateboard," Miyako reminded. Kaoru sighed.

"Maybe it's not worth it," she said. Momoko gasped and dropped the fork she was using to eat her cake.

"Kaoru? Are you saying that you're giving up? How shameful!" the fiery redhead exclaimed and took a heroic pose by standing on her chair and putting a foot on the table. "This is not about serving food! Or how uncomfortable you are in here! Or how ridiculous you look in that outfit!"

Kaoru growled at that last part.

"This is about integrity! You started this job, and you can't give up now! How very ungallant of you!"

"Hey!" Kaoru yelled. "You're right!" she said while pumping a fist into the air.

"You must finish the race, until you earn enough money to afford that skateboard!"

"Yeah!" Kaoru's eyes sparkled.

Momoko smirked and crossed her arms in success, while planting an evil grin on her face. She had just finished giving an encouraging speech, ensuring that Kaoru would never quit this job until she earned enough money for the skateboard. Yeah… that would probably take some time. What Kaoru didn't know was that Momoko only chose to encourage her because she just wanted to continue making fun of Kaoru in her _petite _little maid outfit. Plus she received treat discounts!

**o0o0o0o**

"Ahh… I lived through my first day here!" Kaoru said as she put her uniform away in the employee dressing room. It was closing time now and Kaoru was happy to take off that itchy, girly outfit and change back into her green t-shirt, faded ripped jeans, and shoes that she actually could walk in.

"You did a good job today," another employee in the dressing room said. If Kaoru could recall correctly, her name was Rika. She was older than Kaoru and had dark magenta hair. She ran the cash register most of the time and oversaw the staff during the day. Ah, that's right, she was the co-manager.

"Oh, thanks," Kaoru said and smiled a little. As Kaoru thought about her day, she also could not help but think that she did a good job for a beginner. Other than glomping Momoko on the head and almost tripping on her platform shoes several times, Kaoru was great.

"You're not like other girls," Rika added. "You're spunky. The customers seem to really like your style. And actually, I'm quite fond of it, too."

"Ehe, thank you, Rika-san," Kaoru said as she blushed at Rika's comment. But, it was about seven o' clock PM already and Kaoru had to get home for dinner. Plus, she still had a lot of homework to complete. No time to start a conversation now. "Mata ne, Rika-san." And with that, Kaoru left the café.

Kaoru walked out of the café and strolled down the moonlit street to go home. It was good that no villains had been showing up. She finally had time to do whatever she wanted. Well, not anymore, because of her new job.

"_Ahhh, I have no freedom again. I'm just stuck inside all day, working in that maid café. It's pretty tough work, surprisingly. I'm pretty tired... Maybe I should quit." _

Kaoru then reached the skateboard shop displaying her most wanted board after a few minutes of walking. She stared at the board intently and sighed. _"Or maybe not…" _she thought again.

The next day, Kaoru headed for Cure Maid Café right after school. Momoko and Miyako promised that they would stop by again later that day after their cleaning duty.

Kaoru dressed up in her frilly maid uniform and quickly began taking orders. She was really getting the hang of things at Cure. The customers really did like her, and some even requested her to be at their service. They all found her quite charming, unique, and fun.

The bells on the front door then jingled as three new customers walked in. Kaoru was delivering a tray of tea cakes when they strolled into the shop. She was taught to greet new customers as they arrived to make them feel welcomed.

"Irasahaimass-- gah!" Kaoru cut off her greeting when she saw the faces of her customers. The blood left her face and her eyes turned into little black specs. (A/N: She was about to say "Irassaimasse" which is a way to welcome someone.)

The three new guests were the Rowdyruff Boys.

"_Gaaahh! What do I do?" _Kaoru thought nervously as her face went blank. _"They see me!"_

A few weeks after the defeat of Him, the Rowdyruff Boys discovered the secret identities of Powerpuff Girls Z. The boys were in the park to bully some kids around, only to find Momoko, Kaoru, and Miyako carelessly transform in the park during daylight in order to fight off Mojo Jojo, who was rampaging in the city yet again. The boys then followed the girls and planned to expose them after they defeated "Mama." After the girls sent Mojo flying in the sky, the Rowdyruff Boys appeared…

_(Flashback)_

"_Alright! Now let's get back to the park and buy some donuts!" Blossom cheered as Buttercup sent Mojo into the air with her hammer._

"_Way to beat up Mama!" Brick approached the three girls as Mojo twinkled in the clear blue sky._

"_Rowdyruff Boys!" the three girls exclaimed at once._

"_You'll pay for that," Butch said. "Only we can bully Mama."_

"_We'll get you back," Boomer added._

"_You bet we will… Mo-mo-ko," Brick smirked as he glared at Blossom._

"_Mi-ya-ko," Boomer exposed._

"_Ka-o-ru," Butch added, keeping his eye on Buttercup._

_(End Flashback)_

Brick and Boomer made a face at Kaoru's form. Butch smirked. "_Hm. Cute_," he thought. This was a side of the tomboy that he had never quite seen before. But, he had to make fun of her for now. Otherwise, his brothers would get suspicious.

"Look! It's that Kaoru girl," Butch blurted.

"Nice dress! Haha! Get us some cake, maid!" Boomer commanded while slapping his knee.

"Bwahahaha! Yeah! Get me some tea, too, _Butterc_--" Brick's comment was cut off because Kaoru shoved a tea cake right down his throat. He then began choking and gagging. Rika approached the noisy scene.

"Is there a problem here, Kaoru-san?" Rika asked.

"These three are causing trouble," Kaoru explained.

"Ah, then please leave," Rika said. "You're disturbing the customers."

"What?" Boomer said. "We only came here because we were hungry! We even have money. It was _Butterc_--"

Kaoru glared at Boomer.

"I mean, it was _Kaoru _here that was causing all of the trouble."

Rika looked intently at Kaoru.

"Please serve these boys, Kaoru. And no more noise from the four of you, understood?"

"Haiii," the four teens responded at once. Kaoru then reluctantly lead the Rowdyruff Boys to a table and slammed a menu in front of them.

"What'll it be," Kaoru growled.

"Ah, ah. We want service with a smile," Brick laughed. Kaoru glared at him and growled, but did it anyway. "That's much better."

"I'll take the lemon parfait! And the strawberry shortcake! And a banana milkshake!" Boomer said as he read the menu. "With orange juice, too!"

"Oh! Oh!" Brick exclaimed. "I'll take the green tea sundae! Wait, make that two, I'm pretty hungry. And, uhm, oh! The strawberry Belgian waffles! And the chocolate cheesecake too!"

Kaoru wrote down their long order on a list. These boys sure ate a lot. Even more than Momoko. Well, actually… let's not go _that _far. _"I hope they can afford all this," _she thought as she sweat-dropped.

"And what about you, ponytail?" she asked Butch.

"Whatever you recommend, Ka-o-ru," Butch replied with a smirk. Kaoru slightly blushed as he said her name.

"Eh!? Don't say my name like that, weirdo!" she said. "I'll just give you a plain tea cake then." And with that, Kaoru walked away.

"Are you sick, Butch?" Boomer asked.

"Yeah, man, you eat like a pig. Why didn't you annoy her and make her write down a bunch of food?" Brick added. Butch simply shrugged and said he wasn't hungry for sweets. At the moment, he found something _more _desirable than sundaes and cakes in the café.

**o0o0o0o**

"I can't believe they had the nerve to walk in while I was working!" Kaoru fumed as she strolled along the sidewalk, kicking everything she could see. Rocks, cans, cats… No, just kidding, not cats. Miyako and Momoko had come by to visit Kaoru near the end of her shift so they could all walk home together. "Next time those three reek havoc in the city, I am _so _not holding back! They better watch out!"

"Now, calm down, Kaoru," Miyako said. "Don't get so worked up. You just finished working."

"Yeah, don't pay them any attention," Momoko said. "They're just little snot-nosed boogers who don't know when to grow up."

"Hn. Yeah… I guess you're right," said a now calmer Kaoru. "But that Butch guy was really kind of quiet. He wasn't being as annoying."

"Maybe he's sick," guessed Miyako.

"I highly doubt that. It's obvious that the boy favors you out of all of us, Kaoru," Momoko attested. "He was probably quiet because he was too busy looking at you in your uniform," she bantered. A vein popped from Kaoru's forehead.

"See? This job has even attracted boys to you Kaoru-san," Miyako smiled. More vein-popping action.

Kaoru didn't want to attract Butch! …

_Right?_

_**The Following Day… **_

Kaoru sighed.

Yesterday was a pretty stressful day. It was like a tornado as the boys ate at the café. Food flung everywhere and it was a pretty grotesque sight. Even worse, Kaoru had to clean up after them all. That only took a good fifteen minutes of her shift. Food was _literally _everywhere.

"_It's okay Kaoru," _she thought to herself. _"They won't be back today. I'm sure I scared them off as they were leaving with my threat." _She smirked to herself. Kaoru assured herself that today would be more easygoing and quickly dressed in her uniform and looked in the mirror. Over the years, she had become quite a pretty girl. Her hair was a tad longer, but was still pretty spiky nonetheless. Her legs were longer and her chest had begun to form over the years. She was becoming a young lady now.

Kaoru walked out of the dressing room and went to take orders right after greeting Rika, but then gasped. An unexpected guest was waiting for her at a familiar table.

Butch was sitting at the table that he and his brothers were occupying yesterday.

"You!" Kaoru yelled and pointed to the pony-tailed teen. "What are you doing here!? Come to tease me some more? And don't you dare make a mess in this café. I worked my butt off cleaning after you and your brothers' mess yesterday," she spat. Butch simply smiled back. It was quite a sweet smile, actually. Kaoru knew something was up. _"Little devil…"_

"No, Kaoru. I didn't come here to tease you or to make a mess," Butch stated. He took a nervous gulp and continued. "I… I wanted to tell you how nice you look in that dress," he confessed. Kaoru fumed.

"What? Don't say such things! Stop bothering me and leave," she ordered angrily. "Stop pulling pranks on me. I get enough of you as Buttercup," she whispered the last part. "I don't need _any _of you while I'm Kaoru. Don't come back here _ever _again, twerp."

_Stab_.

Butch felt hurt. She didn't believe him. He had known that this would happen. That she would just see him as a child and not take him seriously. No one ever took him seriously. He was the most vulgar of his brothers, after all. But for her, he would change. He knew he could do it.

"Give me a chance, Kaoru. I'm not a kid anymore," Butch stated. It was true. Butch had grown over the years and his face was even shaping itself into that of a young man's. "I admit, I like to have a little fun and cause some trouble now and then but… I'm being serious. I'm really not trying to anger you. Y-You really do look .. _pretty _in that outfit."

Silence.

Butch sighed.

"I guess I'll go now," Butch said gloomily and hopped off of his chair. He hung his head and slowly and dramatically walked towards the exit.

"W-Wait," Kaoru called out as Butch was about to open the door and leave. He paused and turned around. "Where are your brothers?"

"I came without them knowing. I… felt too embarrassed. They would make fun of me without end if they knew I was here," he softly said with a slight blush on his cheek. "So I have to go… Ja," Butch said. Kaoru could detect a hint of sadness in his voice. She felt bad.

Kaoru sensed a change in Butch all of a sudden. It seemed as if he was more mature, from what she could detect in his tone. In the beginning, he and his brothers were always running away from girls, like children who were afraid of catching cooties. But now, he seemed sort of sincere. Could a Rowdyruff Boy mature? Was that even possible? Was this Rowdyruff Boy turning into… a _man_? Kaoru sighed.

"Butch," she whispered. "C-Come back at closing." She couldn't believe that she had just said that. She swore that she was turning into a softie. Maybe she was hanging out with Miyako too much.

Butch lifted his head and his face became noticeably brighter. He flashed a radiant smile towards Kaoru's direction.

She winced.

The lad then nodded and ran out of the door.

Kaoru fell back on the chair that Butch was once sitting on, and caught her breath.

"_Damn, that was cute smile…"_

**o0o0o0o**

"Good work today, Kaoru-san," Rika said as Kaoru was changing out of her maid outfit.

"Oh, thanks Rika-san," Kaoru smiled.

"But… I couldn't help but think that you were a bit distracted," Rika continued. "You had a dreamy look on your face for most of the day. And you were tripping more than usual."

Kaoru sweat-dropped. She hadn't even noticed.

"Ehh… I'm just tired, hehe," she lied and bade Rika goodbye before she could say anything else. _"Man… I need to snap out of this daze."_

Kaoru stepped out of the shop at closing and stretched. The moon was full and the autumn air felt crisp and cool.

"Hey, Kaoru," a voice called.

"What? Who's there?" she asked.

A figure stepped out of the shadows behind the store. It was Butch. Kaoru's heart skipped a beat. She felt nervous all of a sudden.

"Just me," Butch shyly said. What was wrong with him, Kaoru asked herself. Butch was not a shy person at all. He was not kind, sweet, or anything of that sort. But here he was, acting like a little lovestruck gradeschooler.

"Butch," Kaoru said. The boy looked up. "What's… what's wrong with you?" she asked flatly.

"Wrong?" he asked. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play with me," she spat. "You're obviously pulling something."

"I-I'm not pulling anything," he admitted. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh please," Kaoru groaned. "You complimented me today, came to see me alone, and… I'd hate to admit it, but well, you've been acting deceptively charming around me lately. Are you sick or something?"

"Why does everybody think I'm sick?" he complained. "Kaoru, is it just so hard to believe that…" he paused.

"That what?"

"Nevermind…"

"Tell me," Kaoru demanded. Butch sighed and looked away.

"That… I… like you."

Utter silence.

A Rowdyruff Boy who likes a Powerpuff Girl? This was unheard of. They were like exact counterparts of each other.

"And how the heck did you manage to do that?"

"I-It was natural, Kaoru. You make it sound as if it's impossible to like you. You're funny, athletic, and the least annoying of your two friends," the boy stated. Kaoru couldn't help but smile at that last one. "Seeing you yesterday made me realize that I'm not the same Butch I was three years ago. I can feel myself changing. I think differently and act differently. And I feel differently… about you," he paused. "And… and to tell you the truth, Butch has liked Buttercup from the start."

Kaoru blushed.

Butch slowly began moving closer and closer towards Kaoru as he spoke. Kaoru responded by going backwards with each step he took. Soon enough, Kaoru had no more room to back up because a brick wall behind her kept her from doing so. If only she was Powered Buttercup right now, she could smash that wall down. Butch was now hovering over Kaoru's slightly-blushing face. She hadn't noticed how tall he'd gotten.

Butch's face came slower and slower towards Kaoru's. She blushed madly as he cupped her cheek with his hand and caressed it. He stared intently at her beautiful green orbs with his very own. Emerald met emerald.

"B-Butch…" Kaoru whispered. She wanted to stop him. She wanted to _slap _him. How dare he touch her like this? He was her enemy. Kaoru just wanted to push Butch away, beat him to the ground, and run away from all of this.

But she couldn't.

Was it more like her body wasn't _able _to move? Or was it more like she just didn't _want _to move?

Kaoru couldn't believe it. She couldn't possibly like Butch back as well, right? He was a jerk. He was immature. He was downright repulsive. He was… he was being pretty damn alluring right about now.

Butch still inched closer to Kaoru and soon, his eyes softly shut. Kaoru had a mixture of feelings. She was confused, angry, shy, and well… _entranced_. Butch, in the moonlight, looked quite stunning. This was the closest to him that she had ever been and his touch seemed soothing and calming to her. She had never been attracted to Butch in this way before. Actually, she had never been attracted to _anyone _in this way. Not even that buff sempai that she dated back in Episode 44.

Suddenly, amidst all of Kaoru's thinking, Butch's warm lips crushed against hers. Kaoru couldn't quite explain it…

But it was one of the most _blissful _feelings that she had ever experienced.

Her eyes were wide with shock at first, for she was scared. Was this allowed? Kaoru a.k.a. Powered Buttercup kissing Butch, a Rowdyruff Boy? This was not proper etiquette for a Powerpuff Girl, for sure. This was her first kiss, too. Her first kiss was with an enemy? She couldn't believe it.

But she let that frightened and unsure feeling get overcome by pleasure and slowly shut her own eyes. Kaoru could feel her face getting hot. She felt rush of Butch's cool breath enter her lips, and shuddered. His touch gave her goose bumps. His kiss was electrifying. She carefully lifted her hands from her sides and raised them to her chest. She felt her heart, which was pumping so fast that she swore she was having a heart attack. To prevent herself from entering hyperventilation, she parted her lips from Butch's and opened her eyes. Butch opened his emerald orbs as well and stared down at Kaoru, who turned away and blushed.

"A-Ah," Butch gasped. "I'm sorry. You probably hate me more now," he said as he stepped away and looked down. _"Why did I do that…? She'll never like you, Butch. You're just an annoying, rude, and immature kid to her. You're stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid…"_

"I don't hate you," Kaoru said as Butch was mentally beating himself up. He looked up.

"W-What? Why not?" he stuttered, taken aback. He sort of predicted that his face impression would be left on a brick wall by now.

"Because I can see… that you're not the same Butch anymore, like you say," she smiled timidly.

"How could you tell?"

"I felt it in your kiss," she said while staring down at her shoes.. "It's cheesy, I know. But I really could feel it. There was just… something special about it. I thought I almost lost my mind."

"Oh," he said, surprised. He hadn't known that his kiss showed that much emotion. It was his first kiss, after all. He wasn't even sure if he did it alright. But now, he was just so glad to hear that Kaoru was opening up to him a little more. He was relieved that she was now starting to treat him with the reasonable respect that he wanted. _"Score, Butch."_

"Er, Butch. I…" Kaoru began blushing again for what she was about to say next. "I think that maybe… I could p-probably give you a chance." Butch's eyes widened.

"R-really? Seriously?" Butch questioned, apparently astounded. Kaoru simply nodded with an amused smile. The midnight-haired boy smiled the smile that took Kaoru's breath away, and couldn't help but rejoice.

"_This is going to be a tough relationship. I'm really unsure about it. But, we'll work it out somehow." _Kaoru thought. She observed Butch running around, celebrating, while pumping his fist into the air and screaming things like, "Yahoo!" and "Yes!" _"What a character," _she thought with an entertained smile plastered on her face. She thought that he was pretty funny.

"Come on, it's getting late," she said and motioned for him to walk with her. "We can go home together."

"Okay," he said and beamed a smile. "So does this mean I'm your boyfriend now?" Butch asked as he made his way down to touch Kaoru's behind. Kaoru responded him by smacking the back of his head.

"Don't get carried," she said and smirked. Butch rubbed the back of his head and complained.

Well, I guess Butch was only _mostly _mature.

**Love Chronicles**

**Part I - Kaoru - Entranced: End.  
**

_**Screaming Siopao: **_Woot! Kaoru and Butch are awesaaam! XD Please review! Wait for Miyako's story next!


	2. Angel

**Screaming Siopao: **Gaaah, after I wrote the first part of this fic, I didn't really know where the story would go next, haha. I knew I wanted the next portion to be about Miyako/Bubbles, though. So… Here it goes! Enjoy the next few minutes of my improvised writing! xD

Also, thanks to those who reviewed the first part! -smiles-

_**Disclaimer: **_I do not own _Demashitaa! Powerpuff Girls Z _or its characters. Plot's mine, back off. (:

**Love Chronicles**

**Part II - Miyako - Angel**

_**Monday, November 11**__**th**__**;;**_

"How's the café work going, Kaoru-san?" a bubbly Miyako asked during lunch one Monday morning. Of course, she was eating her favorite meal-- meatballs. Miyako hadn't changed much for the past three years, except for the fact that her hair was longer and she was taller now. She was still pretty much the dense sweetheart of the group.

"Yeah, it's been like three weeks you've been working at Cure Maid," Momoko said while chomping on some rice balls. "When are you going to have enough money for that skateboard?"

"Well, I actually… I got enough money for the skateboard two nights ago," Kaoru said, beaming. "I'm going to buy it after my shift today!"

"So why don't you quit already?" Miyako asked. Kaoru blushed at the question just a tad bit, so her friends didn't quite notice.

She couldn't say that Butch visited her everyday during her shift. She had kept her relationship with the Rowdyruff Boy a secret for all of this time. She did not want to reveal it now and have her friends scold her. They would totally disapprove of her decision and demand her to break off whatever she had with Butch immediately. But, truth is, Kaoru was happy with Butch. He made her laugh a lot, and that was a big bonus. Any guy that could make her laugh her brains out was good enough for her anyday. She was truly content with him as her boyfriend-- Rowdyruff Boy or not. It's not like the boys have caused much trouble in Tokyo, anyway.

"Well, see, I… er, I kind of l-like…" Kaoru started, but then paused. "I… I'm really starting to like the job." A lie. A terrible lie. The only reasons Kaoru had for liking the job was the good pay and that it was the only time she could see Butch without looking suspicious. Momoko began laughing shamelessly.

"Bwahaha! Kaoru's turning into a girlie-girlie softie~!" the red-head scoffed.

**GONK**_**!**_

"Ow ow ow! Mou, Kaoru, that hurt!" Momoko yelled as Kaoru put her shoe back on after launching it at her friend's head.

"Serves you right, you fat freak!" Kaoru yelled.

"Fat!?"

Miyako watched from afar and sweat-dropped.

"What's wrong with being a softie?" she asked quietly to herself as she looked on at her two bickering friends and sighed.

"Ah, Miyako," Momoko suddenly said. "How's Takaaki-kun doing?" At the sound of her crush's name, Miyako instantly blushed.

"Yeah, he was released from the hospital just last week, right?" Kaoru asked. "That's really great news!"

"Y-Yes, It is, ne," Miyako said with a shy smile. "He actually visited me last night," she stated, blushing even more.

"Oooh," Momoko cooed. "And how did _that _go? Did you two behave?" Miyako blushed an even brighter shade of red, if that was even possible.

"O-Of course! Don't kid like that! We're just friends, you see. He j-just came over for dinner."

"Suure. Miyako, you can tell me what happened, just whisper it, 'kay?" Kaoru said while pointing to her ear.

"Really! You guys, nothing's going on between me and Taka-chan. I'm just so very glad that he's out of the hospital. It was a miracle that he was able to be cured," Miyako said with obvious happiness and relief in her tone. "It's so great that we can actually see each other again outside of the hospital. I'm so glad…" Miyako stopped talking and looked up to her friends who were both snickering. "Hey! What's so funny?"

"Miyako and Takaaki sittin' in a tree," Kaoru sang.

"K-i-s-s-i-n-g!" Momoko continued. Miyako's face became as hot as a tamale.

"Mou! You guys!" she yelled as she got up and rapidly chased her friends around the classroom. A calamitous sight, yes. Such an oh, so destructive sight indeed.

**o0o0o0o**

"I'll catch you later, guys!" Kaoru said as she left school to go to work. Momoko and Miyako had to stay after school to attend a club meeting.

"Bye, Kaoru!" the other two girls yelled back as their friend. Both Momoko and Miyako began walking towards the classroom where their club would be held, until something caught Miyako's eye. There, on a desk in their homeroom, sat Kaoru's green hat.

"Ah!" Miyako exclaimed. "Kaoru-san left her cap."

"We'll just give it back to her later after our club meeting," Momoko suggested. Miyako nodded and took the hat.

She was happy about being able to go visit Kaoru later to see how she was doing. She and Momoko actually haven't visited in a while, for something urgent often came up or times came when they were just tired from school. But, most of the time, Kaoru assured them that she was fine and that there were need for visitations anymore.

Suddenly, an upbeat, cheery music began playing from inside of Miyako's bag.

"Oh," she gasped. "My cell." She reached into her bag, pushing aside books and Octi, to grab her cell phone. "Moshi moshi."

"Miyako-chan."

Miyako's heart skipped a beat at the sound of that voice. That so very musical and pleasurable voice.

"T-Taka-chan," she stuttered while turning red. Somewhere next to her, she heard Momoko stifle a laugh. Miyako motioned for her to go on ahead without her. Momoko understood, and went ahead to the club meeting.

"Hey, uhm, I was wondering if you were busy," he said. "My parents are out and it's really kind of lonely here."

"Don't you still need to rest? You just left the hospital."

"All I've been doing is resting. I'm fine, really. And I start school again tomorrow anyway," he said. "I'm really behind, but I hope I can catch up."

"Oh," Miyako said. "Well, I'm at school now, and then I'll be at Cure Maid Café visiting Kaoru. Oh, that's right!" she exclaimed. "You've never seen her at work. She looks so cute! Why don't you stop by there at around four later on?"

"Ah, sounds good," he said.

"Okay, it's settled then," she said. "Four o' clock."

"Alright," he said with a smile.

"W-Well, I guess I'll see you soon," she stuttered. _"Darn it. Miyako, stop stuttering!"_

"Yup," Takaaki confirmed. "Oh, and, Miyako?"

"H-hai?"

"I… I can't wait to see you."

Miyako took an intake of breath and held back a squeal.

"Hai. Well, I-- I'll be going, now," she responded while in a daze. "Ja." And with that, they hung up.

Miyako let out her anticipated squeal and was so joyful that she hummed the rest of the way to her club's room.

**o0o0o0o**

Momoko yawned.

"That meeting was so boring! School is just getting so tiring!" the red-head exclaimed while rubbing her eyes. Miyako giggled.

"You're pretty tired already, ne, Momoko? And it's only Monday!"

"Monday!?"

"Yes. Monday."

"G'ack!"

"What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry!" Momoko apologized while bowing. "I can't come with you to Cure Maid Café. There's this TV special tonight and Hiro Mizushima will be guest-starring for this episode only!" (a/n: ahh! Hiro Mizushima is so… -squee-)

"Just another one of your boy idols again, hm?" the bubbly blonde giggled. "It's fine. I'll go ahead by myself. I'll be with Taka-chan and Kaoru-san anyway, so it won't be lonely."

"Ah, that's right. Thank you so much!" Momoko said. "You're the best!"

Miyako laughed and smiled sweetly at her friend.

"I know," she joked.

**o0o0o0o**

Miyako skipped happily along Tokyo's sidewalk while on her way to the café. She hummed yet another upbeat tune while skipping. It felt like she was walking on air. She was so elated and uber glad to have the chance see Kaoru in her cute outfit again. And also, Takaaki would be there with her, eating sweets and all sorts of goodies. This was almost like a date between her and Takaaki right? The thought made her squeal with joy and blush madly out of control.

Oh, she didn't even notice that she was at the café already. Skipping truly was a fast way of commuting. Miyako glanced at her watch. 3:30 PM. It would still be at least thirty minutes before Takaaki would even arrive. Oh well, she thought. She could just keep Kaoru company for a while. She pushed open the front door and spotted her friend in the green uniform.

"Kaoru-san! I'm--" Miyako announced, but was cut off by someone putting his hand over her mouth.

"Shh!" a boy said, while pulling her to a table off to the side. Miyako squealed lightly and looked up at the boy who had interrupted her. "Don't bother Kaoru!" he hissed.

"Eh!? Boomer!" she yelled. The blonde lad who sat with Miyako was, indeed, Boomer. Boomer, like Butch, had also grown taller and had a much more defined jaw line. His face was becoming manlier and he had grown a bit more built over the years as well.

"Huh?" he said. "Who are you?" He stared intently at the girl in front of him, as if they were having a staring contest of some sort. After a few seconds, something in his brain finally clicked. "Oh," he gasped as he finally realized who it was that he had just grabbed to sit with him. "I see! You're that Miyako girl. Uh, Bubbles! That's right!" he said with a smile.

"Shh!" she hissed this time. "Don't say that out loud! You have some nerve after dragging me to this table!"

"Oh, sorry about that. It was just a natural reflex. I couldn't let anybody bother Kaoru, because I have to observe her," he said. "Well, long time no see, huh? Last time was… hmm, well, a few months back when me and my bro's found out who you girls really were, ha ha," he laughed. "Such careless, dense girl. Good times."

"No, _not _good times! This isn't a laughing matter. You guys shouldn't have been spying on us anyway. And why is this plant here? I can't see Kaoru-san! I have to return her hat!"

"I picked this table especially so that Kaoru girl and Butch _wouldn't _see us," Boomer pointed out. "So don't speak so loudly."

"Huh? Butch?" Miyako questioned, confused. "He's here, too?"

"That's the only reason why I'm here. Look," Boomer commanded. Miyako did what she was told and peered through the leaves of the plant that was covering both her and Boomer.

Miyako saw Kaoru in her green maid uniform and was about to call out for her. But then, she saw who her friend was walking towards. No other than Butch himself. Miyako watched Kaoru set a simple cake dish in front of Butch and observed them laughing and talking and… well, if Miyako didn't know any better, it was as if the two were… _flirting_. She hadn't seen Kaoru laugh like that for a while now. The blonde girl gasped and looked back at Boomer, who was wearing a serious expression on his face.

"I know," he said. "It's bad, huh."

"But," Miyako began. "Why are you spying on your brother?"

"He's been gone everyday for like three weeks. He leaves for a few hours and then comes home all weird and fruity," Boomer said. "Me and him were supposed to go skating in the park, when he said he had to go do something else. Brick didn't even bother following-- that lazy bum. But if he saw this now, he'd be furious. I decided to follow Butch here and what do you know? He and that Kaoru chick are hooking up or something."

"I…" Miyako whispered in disbelief. "I don't believe this."

"Me neither. _Girls_," Boomer said while making a disgusted face. "He practically _betrayed _me and Brick! It's bad enough that he got a girl, but it's even _worse _that the girl is a Powerpuff Girl. It's totally sick, if you ask me."

"What?" Miyako said.

"I said it's sick. Girls are vile and disgusting. They're crybabies and _softies_," he spat.

Miyako then became angry all of a sudden. She didn't even care anymore that Kaoru was with Butch. That didn't seem like a problem to her right now.

"Now, listen here, Boomer!" Miyako exclaimed while slamming her hands on the table. "Kaoru-san can be with any guy she wants! Rowdyruff Boy or not, her choice must be respected! Plus, she looks totally happy with him! Just look at her smile! I am her best friend and if this is what she wants, then I'll support her one-hundred percent! You should feel the same way towards Butch! He's your brother, after all, right? You should stick by him whenever he needs you to! Talking about him like that makes it look like _you're _the one betraying _him _as a brother!"

"Uhh… M-Miyako," Boomer said.

"Don't interrupt me! I'm not done with you!" Miyako yelled, completely out of control. This was totally unlike her.

"Miyako!" a new, more feminine, voice said. Miyako turned her head and looked at the new speaker.

"Ah… Kaoru!" Miyako said in a surprised tone. Had she attracted _that _much attention? Now that she thought about it, almost the entire shop was looking at her. Butch was standing behind Kaoru and gasped at the sight of his blonde brother.

"Boomer?" Butch breathed. "What are _you _doing here?"

"I think that I should be the one asking you that, Butch!" the blonde lad exclaimed. Butch gulped.

"I-- it's not what it looks like," Butch stuttered. "I…" He had absolutely no excuse for being in the café mingling with a Powerpuff girl. Who knows how long Boomer has been there, staring at him? All he could say was the truth now. He sighed. It was inevitable. He had to confess to his brothers someday, and he knew it. "I was just…"

"He was just here making fun of how horrible I looked in this outfit," Kaoru blurted, protecting Butch from humiliation by his brother. Butch was taken aback by this.

"Really, now?" Boomer said. "I don't believe it."

"Well, believe it, twerp!" Kaoru exclaimed.

"That's not what it looked like to me and Miyako here. Right?" he said as he looked at the blonde girl next to him. Miyako bit her lip, not knowing what to do.

"Don't involve Miyako in this!" Kaoru demanded. "You want proof? Tell him, Butch! He was saying how this dress made me look like a clown! And how it looks like I never brush my hair! And how it looks like I--"

"That's enough, Kaoru," Butch said, clenching his fists. "I'm not going to lie to Boomer." He couldn't bear it anymore. Kaoru didn't need to protect him like this. He was the man after all, right? Butch stared his brother straight in the eye. Sapphire met Emerald. "Truth is, I've been with Kaoru for a while now. I… I really like her. Is there a problem?"

Boomer growled.

"I knew it," he said between his clenched teeth. "Backstabber."

"What?" Butch asked, but was too late. Boomer had already stormed out of the café in a flash. Butch was about to go follow his brother until Miyako stopped him.

"I'll go find him. This is all my fault. Besides, I don't think he'd be very willing to negotiate with you right now," Miyako stated apologetically. "You stay here with Kaoru." The blonde girl then left the café in a rush as well. Boomer couldn't have gotten far. She would go find him and calm him down so that he and his brother could talk calmly. She couldn't help but feel totally responsible for what was going on. If she just hadn't thrown a fit, then she and Boomer wouldn't have been spotted. Then, Butch and Boomer wouldn't be fighting. She had to fix this… somehow.

She ran down the streets yelling Boomer's name when suddenly, she saw a bob of blonde hair in the distance. "Aha!" she exclaimed as she ran up to the figure and tapped his shoulder. "Boomer."

"Huh?" the person turned around and looked down at Miyako. "What's a 'boomer'?"

"Aghh!" Miyako yelled as soon as she saw it was just a bloated middle-aged blonde woman. "Ehe, sorry, wrong person." But something caught Miyako's eye off to the direction of the café. It was another person with blonde hair who ran into an alleyway right next to the Café. _"Boomer." _

She ran back to the direction in which she came from and followed the figure into the alleyway. There, leaning against the brick wall with his back to her, she saw the boy she was looking for. His head was down and his face was blocked from the shadows of the alley. She slowly approached him and placed her small hand on his shoulder. "Ne… are you alright?"

"No," he mumbled, his back still to her.

"I'm really sorry for yelling at you earlier, 'kay?"

Silence.

"Turn around, please," she politely asked.

"No."

"Look at me, Boomer," Miyako gently said. She was always like this. Gentle. Even with a boy whom she should be enemies with.

"I said no!" he yelled as he roughly nudged her away. Miyako stumbled back a few feet, but did not fall to the ground, luckily.

"Please," she whispered timidly. "I want to help."

"_Help…" _It's exactly was Boomer sought. But from a Powerpuff Girl? He refused. "_Just leave me alone."_

She then heard a soft, muffled sound come from him. What was that? A cough? A groan? No, it was none of those, Miyako thought. It was a… a _sob_. Miyako slowly and cautiously walked up to Boomer again and looked at his face only to find it tear-struck and drained. She gasped lightly. This was a side of him that she had never seen before. All she knew was the immature trouble maker that always wreaked havoc in Tokyo with his brothers. Now, she saw a helpless boy that just longed for compassion.

"_Boomer is… so sensitive…"_

"Stop looking at me," he breathed. "I'm pathetic."

"Why… why are you crying?" Miyako asked. _"Please don't cry…"_

"Because of Butch, of course," he replied while wiping his cheek with his sleeve. "I can't believe he'd betray me and Brick like this. We're brothers. We're supposed to stick together no matter what. We made a _pact_ three years ago that we would never ditch each other for a girl, and he broke it."

Miyako listened as he let out all of his feelings. She could understand his feelings of sadness, loneliness, and betrayal, for she could remember the day that she and Takaaki made a pinky promise when they were little kids. They promised to see each other the next day and play with bubbles, but Miyako was so crushed when Takaaki never returned to the park to see her. The promise was broken that day, and so was her heart.

"I understand that you're upset. I know what you're going through, trust me. But just because Butch likes Kaoru now doesn't mean that he's betrayed you and Brick. You're still brothers," she said. "No broken promise can deny that."

"Hn."

"Plus, that pact was… well, it was a pretty _dumb _one to make," Miyako added. She didn't mean to sound offensive. But to get through to this boy, she had to be a little harsh. She wanted to help him. She had to show him what was already inevitable and unavoidable in life.

"And why is that?" he managed to say under his breath. He didn't know why this girl was still standing here. Was she that determined to help him? Any other girl would have just left him alone to rot by now. He was _always_ left alone to cry. Even his brothers abandoned him at his emotional and unstable times, like this one. He looked at Miyako's caring face as she flashed a stunning and sweet smile at him.

"Because… Butch is going to fall in love sometime in his life. And so will you."

This struck Boomer. _He _was going to fall in love? With a _girl_? It seemed preposterous. Utterly absurd. Totally impossible. It was hard to believe and even harder to picture. He and his brothers had always avoided girls.

But as he thought about it, he stared at this little blonde girl before him. This gentle being who was not afraid to look him in the eye, even though he pushed her aside and refused her help. She was here with him trying to set him and his brother on good terms when he should be doing that himself. She felt sympathy for him… something that no one had ever showed to him before. She gave unto him more warmth, understanding, and empathy than he thought he deserved.

"I… I don't know," he said disbelievingly. "I can't. I won't." But as he said this, he doubted himself. For this was because he could already feel a slight, warm passion in his heart, and he dreaded what it might be. Wait. Dreaded? Actually… he sort of liked this feeling.

"You don't always have to hide your feelings," Miyako said. "You can tell me."

"I don't know," he said again, but with more roughness in his tone. He was so lost and muddled. His feelings were becoming haywire and disorganized. He held his head up with his hands, which felt like it was suddenly made of a type of metal. It felt so heavy to him; such a burden. He shut his eyes tightly. He swore he was going crazy.

"Boomer," Miyako softly said. His face softened at the sound of his name. He liked how his name sounded on her lips. So gentle and melodious; like chimes. She really was tender and amiable. "You shouldn't be shameful about who you are and the feelings you have," she consoled delicately. "It's okay to cry once in a while. You don't have to wear a facade anymore. You don't have to run _away_ anymore. _I'm _here."

These words struck Boomer like a shield. The way she spoke to him made him feel so secure and safe. Her words were like a stronghold to him. He was always the most sensitive out of his brothers; the most self-conscious and unsure. But now, he felt like someone understood him, for once in his life. He stared into her honest blue orbs and saw home. He saw a place where there was protection, security, and hope. There was a whole new haven in her sparkling eyes.

"Miyako…" Boomer whispered. Before she could respond, the Rowdyruff Boy had already wrapped his arms around her. He couldn't help it. He needed to hold her. He closed his eyes, buried his face into her hair and sighed. "Miyako," he whispered again. "Arigatou."

He was just a cast-away soul. And now, he had just stumbled upon his guardian angel.

"Boomer…" she sighed. She did not know why she did so, but her arms just seemed to automatically wrap around Boomer's body themselves. As he hugged her, she embraced him back, and she enjoyed the sensation of it. Boomer's skin was warm on hers and his scent smelled like a sort of mint, in a way. She shut her eyes and inhaled his intoxicating smell and it was as if her mind went crazy for just a fraction of a second. She knew that she wasn't supposed to be feeling like this. To be feeling this light and high sensation while embracing Boomer… well, it was as if her heart was betraying her, wasn't it?

"Miyako-chan?" a surprised voice outside of the alleyway called. Miyako averted her eyes to the speaker, and gasped. She glanced at her watch; 4:00 PM. _No…_

"Taka-chan…"

**Love Chronicles**

**Part II - Miyako - Angel: End.**

_**Screaming Siopao: **_Ahhhh! That turned out better than I thought! It was a bit sad though. Yet, so uber sweet. Amai! -squeeee- Yes, Boomer is a bit OOC here, too. Blah! Who cares? He's three years older here, and people change. Will this Rowdyruff Boy also fall into the charm of a Powerpuff Girl? And what about Momoko? Well, stay tuned! Just a poll, would you guys prefer Miyako with Takaaki or Boomer? I personally liked Takaaki better, but this story has made me like Boomer too! Hahaha! Well, please tell me your opinions in your reviews. Or else I won't really know who to pair poor little Miyako with. -sobs-

Ja ne!


	3. Lightning

_**Screaming Siopao: **_I'm so uber sorry for not updating since… February '09!? G'ack! It's been over three months! I feel so horrible. D: Recently, I've been working on a research paper and I've sort of made new friends that have been distracting me from writing. Also, blame Facebook and Pokémon Yellow. xD But, I logged on to FF.N and read my recent reviews for this story. They've really inspired me! So, enough chitchat and excuses on my part! Onward with _Love Chronicles_!

_**Disclaimer: **_Ah, I've missed writing about the fact that I do not own _Demashitaa! Powerpuff Girls Z _and its characters.

**Love Chronicles**

**Part III - Momoko - Lightning**

_**Friday, November 15th**__**;;**_

Momoko stared at Miyako from her seat during lunch break. Miyako, who was usually bubbly and happy-go-lucky, was now sitting by herself at a far desk in the corner. She was silently reading a book and seemed totally unapproachable.

"Ne," Momoko said while nudging Kaoru. "What's the matter with Miyako?"

Kaoru flinched. That's right. Momoko wasn't present during the café incident in the beginning of the week, for she was at home watching a TV special about one of her boy idols. Kaoru didn't know what to say. She felt that perhaps Miyako would like to keep the events confidential. If Momoko wanted to know, then Miyako should personally tell her herself, right?

"I'm not sure," Kaoru lied. "Er, maybe you should go ask her." Momoko nodded. She got up from her seat and strode to the other side of the classroom.

"Miyako-chan," Momoko spoke. The blonde lass looked up from her books and bluntly greeted her red-haired friend. It had been four days since her incident with Boomer at the café. "Miyako, are you alright?"

"What-- what do you mean?"

"You've been extremely quiet and reserved this week," she pointed out. "I'm worried about you."

"I'm… fine."

"You're lying," Momoko blurted. "Do you want to talk about something? We're best friends, right? We help each other out and get each other out of ugly situations!" she exclaimed with a thumbs up.

"No, really. I just want to read."

"Oh, please, Miyako. Shakespeare? You know you're not really into that stuff. Come on! You can tell me anything!"

Miyako stared into her friend's happy coral eyes. Momoko sure was a klutz and even could be temperamental at times, but she was naturally good-hearted. Miyako was glad to have someone like her, and softly smiled.

"All right," the blonde said. "Let's go outside. Kaoru-san, too."

**o0o0o0o**

"What!?" Momoko shouted into Kaoru's face. "You? And Butch!?"

"This is exactly why I didn't want to tell her about this, Miyako!" Kaoru complained. "She's making such a big fuss about it!"

"Well, it _is _a big fuss, right?" the red head said. "I don't believe this!"

"We _had _to tell her," Miyako said. "We're best friends. You couldn't hide something this important for long, you know," she continued. Kaoru sighed.

"Yeah, I guess not. It was pretty much inevitable, huh?"

"You bet it was!" Momoko shouted. "I can't believe you didn't tell me earlier, Kaoru! I feel so unimportant and not trusted and excluded and…"

"Oh, don't be such a drama queen," Kaoru uttered with annoyance in her tone. Momoko pouted.

"So, anyway, what's he like? Jerky and butt-faced?" Momoko bantered. Kaoru scoffed. She wanted to say, _"Unlike anyone you could ever meet,"_ but that may have sounded a bit cheesy coming from Kaoru.

"It's none of your business. Anyway, we're here to talk about Miyako's issues, right? Not _my _business."

"Oh, right, right. So, Miyako, what's the deal with you? Did something happen between you and Takaaki or something?" Momoko queried.

"Ah… well, sort of," Miyako admitted. She took an intake of breath and resumed with her story. "You see, well, Takaaki saw me and Boomer together Monday afternoon…"

_(Flashback)_

"_Miyako-chan?" a surprised voice outside of the alleyway called. Miyako averted her eyes to the speaker, and gasped. She glanced at her watch; 4:00 PM. No…_

"_Taka-chan…" Miyako whispered in shock. In Takaaki's hand was a bundle of delicate wild flowers and colorful gerberas._

_Boomer lifted his head from the crown of Miyako's head and stared at Takaaki, who had lightly surprised him during his serene moment with Miyako. _

"_Who's… he?" Boomer thought to himself in wonder. As Boomer eyed the lad standing before them, his eyes seemed to have caught glance of the flowers. It was then that it seemed as if he was hit by some sort of realization, which caused him to wince. _

_He diverted his attention back at Miyako and looked into her gentle blue orbs for one last time. It was then Miyako's turn to wince._

_The look he gave her appeared as if a dagger had just shattered his heart into a billion pieces._

_And with that oh, so agonizing face, he just dashed off._

"_Boomer!" she yelled after him, but he was already gone. Miyako looked back at Takaaki, who appeared to be both confused and dumbfounded. By now, the bouquet of dainty flowers were already scattered on the pavement around Takaaki's feet._

_(End Flashback)_

"And so then what happened?" Momoko asked with anticipation in her voice.

"Taka-chan… went home," Miyako gloomily stated. "He… he said he wasn't feeling well all of a sudden. And he just left."

"Just like that?" questioned Momoko.

"Just like… that," the blonde replied. "I went back into the café. I cried like a baby while Kaoru attempted to comfort me. I can't believe I messed everything up," she cried in distress. "First, I caused Butch and Boomer to fight just because of a temper tantrum. Then I drove both Boomer _and _Taka-chan away because of a little misinterpretation."

"Why would Boomer even run like that?" Momoko fumed. "That's a bit rude, if you asked me!"

"You have to consider his feelings," Kaoru pointed out. "If I were him and I saw Takaaki with flowers for Miyako, I'd be pretty embarrassed." Momoko pondered on this and gave a thoughtful sigh.

"Yeah, I guess I'd feel pretty bad if I were him. But he assumed so quickly."

"He had the right to. It's not like his assumption was wrong anyway," Kaoru replied.

"I've tried to clear things up with me and Boomer for the past few days. But, I can't find him anywhere. Butch doesn't even know where he is," Miyako sighed.

"And Takaaki?" asked Kaoru.

"I've seen him around school since he's attending again. It… seems like he's ignoring me. It seems as if he just looks right through me."

"What? That jerk!" the red head fumed.

"Again, you're not considering the guy's feelings. If _I _were Takaaki and _I _saw Miyako around another guy's arms then _I _would feel pretty ba--"

"Yeah, yeah, we know," Momoko interrupted. "Geez, Kaoru, your new boyfriend sure is making you a lot more sensitive towards guys. Now you act _and _think like one!"

"What!?" Kaoru screeched as a vein in her head popped.

"Ehehe… just kidding," Momoko bantered. "Well, I'm going to fix this love triangle between you, Takaaki, and Boomer, okay Miyako?"

Miyako sweat-dropped.

"N-no! It's not a love triangle!" she nervously said.

"Oh, don't be so naïve. Leave it to _me _to fix everything between you all!"

"Oh goodness," Kaoru grunted. "I thought her childish heroic stage was done and over with already. I don't have a very good feeling about this, Miyako…"

**o0o0o0o**

"Aren't you coming along with us, Momoko?" Kaoru asked. "I'm going to work, and Miyako wants to see if Butch has any sign of Boomer."

"Nah, I'm alright. There's a whole chocolate cake with my name on it waiting for me at home!" she happily responded.

"Figures," Kaoru said while rolling her eyes. "Suit yourself." And with that, the gals departed.

It was a glorious fall afternoon as Momoko strolled down the upbeat streets of Tokyo. The leaves barely clung onto the scrawny branches and limbs as they turned into their bold autumn colors. Many fluttered onto the ground in flowing patterns, and it seemed as if she was caught in a wonderful, leafy blizzard.

After about ten minutes of walking, Momoko passed by a skating park and couldn't help but notice a couple of teenage boys on their skateboards and bikes. She got a tad bit curious and began veering off her path from home towards the park.

"Oh! I guess my cake can wait for ten minutes longer," she chirped as she skipped closer towards the boys. "This looks like a good chance to score some sempais!"

She sat on a close-by bench and observed the group of boys doing stunts and tricks that almost seemed to defy gravity. But, one boy specifically caught her eye-- a boy around her age dressed in a black top and ripped jeans. He was on a skateboard, and his moves were utterly fluid. It amazed her how he could solidly stay on that board-- it was as if his feet were polarized to it. She gazed in wonder at his ollies, grinds, kick flips, pivots, and so much more. This boy made the active and rough sport seem as graceful as ballet.

"Hey," a voice called out. Momoko was in a wondered daze at the moment because she was staring at the other skaters. "Hey!" the voice called out again when Momoko did not respond.

"Huh? What?" she said in shock. The boy whom she was observing earlier on the skateboard was suddenly standing right beside her. She was probably to preoccupied to notice him walking towards her. _"Hm, this guy seems familiar."_

"Are you lost?" he asked. "You look a bit muddled, or something."

"N-no. I was just watching. You… You're very good!" she exclaimed.

"Ah, yeah, well, it took me years of practicing," he replied coolly. "Well, if you're okay, then I'll catch you later, I guess," he bade.

"O-okay!"

"Oh, by the way, I'm Brick."

This hit Momoko like a… well, like a brick.

"Brick!?" she exclaimed with shock. "You?"

Of course! No wonder why he seemed so familiar to her. But, because he wasn't in his usual red clothing, she didn't recognize him as quickly. Plus, he looked way different, facially. It wasn't the same round, childish face that she despised looking at anymore. To her, he seemed quite cute now, actually. She stood up from her spot at the bench in order to have a better look at him. He'd gotten much taller, too.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" he asked in confusion. She must have been some crazy chick, he thought.

"Don't you recognize me?" she roughly whispered.

"Hm, uhmm," he pondered. "Your voice does seem annoyingly familiar."

"What? Annoying!?" she shouted in a high-pitched tone. At this, Brick hit realization. He'd know that shout anywhere. He snapped his fingers as his eyes softly widened with surprise.

"Ah! Blossom! Or, what was it? Er, Momoko?" he realized.

"Shh! Don't say that out loud!" she hissed. "I'm just Momoko, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. Well, what business do you have here?" he queried. "Don't tell me you were here to skateboard. I thought Buttercup was the athletic one."

"Of course I didn't come to skate!" she spat. "Actually, I have some business with you and your brothers!"

"What? I haven't seen you in months. We haven't _caused _trouble in months," Brick stated. "What could you possibly want with us? We've all been lying low."

"Well, that's what you think!"

"So, what do you want?"

"I need your help."

"You're not getting it," he spat as he turned around and began to walk away. Momoko was stunned by this crude action.

"Brick!" she screeched. "Don't you know what's been going on with your brothers recently?"

"Not really. And, quite frankly, I don't really care," he straightforwardly stated as he kept on walking. This was frustrating Momoko quite a bit. He was giving her all the wrong answers. He was being extremely blunt, and this was not the same annoying, obnoxious red head she remembered.

"Don't you care about your brothers?"

"Depends what's going on," he shrugged.

"Well, for one, I need to know where Boomer has been," she demanded.

"Don't know, don't really care," he called out as he still walked away.

"Ugh! Can you cooperate for just a little while?" Momoko asked as she caught up and started walking alongside him.

"I am. I really don't know where he's been."

"Well, can you help me look, at least?" she anxiously pled.

"No can do. And, why are you on Boomer's case?"

"Because… he and Miyako got into a misunderstanding. I think he's hurt."

"Miyako? That bubbly chick?" he asked. Momoko nodded. "W-- Why was Boomer hanging around with her?"

"Well, Boomer was upset because Butch and Kaoru were together and then…"

"Wait, what?" Brick stopped dead in his tracks. "Butch is with who?" he asked, obviously shocked. Momoko bit her lip, realizing what she had just blurted out.

"Ah. Well, you know. B-Butch is with… er, _Kaoru_," she softly whispered while looking down. She didn't want to look at him. He must have been enraged. After all, Brick was the most serious about avoiding girls, right? He was the oldest and sort of the leader of the three. He was their role model, in a way. After a few seconds of silence, the lass came to a conclusion that perhaps he was so angry that he just became paralyzed.

"… I see," Brick grunted. Momoko peered up. Guess he wasn't paralyzed after all, huh?

"What? You see? That's all you have to say? Aren't you angry?"

"Sure. But I'm not going to pilot Butch's life. So, whatever. Leave me alone, now," he spat. Momoko clenched her fist, and couldn't hold in her disgust much longer.

"You're being extremely arrogant, Brick! Your attitude is totally rude! You've changed a lot during the past three years! You sure don't act like a little snot-nosed little brat anymore," she raged. "But now you're just a low and crude jerk!" And with that, the irritated Momoko stomped off and continued her course towards home, leaving an utterly baffled and dumbfounded Brick behind.

**o0o0o0o**

"Mou!" Momoko complained the next morning.

"What's the matter with you?" asked Kaoru in homeroom.

"My cake… it was all gone when I got home yesterday!" she sobbed.

"You must have gotten home late, then," Miyako said.

"Well, later than I anticipated. It was all that stupid, ignorant Brick's fault!" Momoko cried.

"What? You saw Brick?" the blonde queried. "What happened?"

"Ugh, nothing much at all," Momoko said. "He had no idea where Boomer was, just like Butch. It was becoming extremely aggravating when I tried to talk with him. He was being downright blunt!"

"Brick, blunt? I remember him being the most obnoxious one," Kaoru recalled. Momoko sighed.

"Yeah, I don't know what happened to all those Rowdyruff Boys over the years. Must be puberty or something," she said as she plopped her head on a desk. "One's suddenly become a hopeless-romantic, one has insecurity problems, and now this one's become a loner. Uber strange, if you ask me." Miyako also sighed.

"I just want to find Boomer soon. I hope he's not hurt," she lamented.

"Ne, Miyako," called out Momoko. "Do you mind if I ask why you care so much for finding Boomer?"

"Ah, well, you know… I just want to make sure he's safe. He just ran away that one afternoon and his brothers haven't seen him since. It might have hurt him to see Taka-chan holding those flowers for me, and I just want to clear things up and--"

"Ne, Miyako," interjected Momoko. "Why are you blushing?"

"Wh-what? N-no I'm not!"

"Ne, Miyako," Kaoru said. "Why are you stuttering?"

"H-huh!? N-no! I don't know! Agh, y-you guys!" Miyako complained. Kaoru and Momoko couldn't help but chuckle.

"You're not starting to actually _like _Boomer, are you?" Momoko asked. "Then, that'll make me the only one who hasn't gone boarded the Rowdyruff bandwagon."

"Well…" Miyako began. "I always thought Boomer and his brothers were just troublemakers. But when I saw him crying, it totally changed my view of him. He can be really sensitive and deep, you know. He even told me, 'thank you.' If he just received a little guidance, he'd become a really great guy…"

"Yup, she's love struck," Momoko spoke to Kaoru.

"Totally," Kaoru added with a nod.

"Mou! You guys!" Miyako blushed. "I-- I like Taka-chan!"

"Maybe you like them both?" Kaoru suggested.

"Ooh, a love triangle!" Momoko squealed. "How romantic!"

"N-no! It's not a love triangle, for the last time!" the blonde lass argued with hopelessness. But actually, somewhere in the back of her mind, she believed that it may eventually turn into one. A sort of _nasty _one, if I might add.

**o0o0o0o**

Momoko was on her way towards the school campus that afternoon, when she saw a certain blonde piggy-tailed friend idly standing at a bus station.

"Yo! Miyako!" she yelled as she ran towards her friend. But as Momoko neared the bench, she noticed that Miyako was reading some sort of document. "Ne, what's that?"

"It's… from Boomer," Miyako softly whispered. "I found it on my doorstep this morning..."

"What?" Momoko gasped. "Let me see!" she anxiously demanded as she took the paper. The letters were a bit blotchy and messy, but it was still manageable to read it.

_Miyako,_

_I'm sorry you had to see me at my worst. It was quite pathetic, wasn't it?_

_I'm sorry if I offended you by being too close. It was just an impulse to hold you, really._

_I hadn't realized that you had someone you cared about already._

_I'm sorry I had to run off on you. I didn't want to cause any trouble._

_But maybe it's best if you just forgot about everything and we didn't speak again._

_We _were _always enemies, right?_

_Ja._

_-- Boomer._

Momoko looked up from the letter to find a tearing Miyako.

"He…" Miyako began as she sniffled. "He hates me, doesn't he? He just wants to forget I helped him. He didn't want help from me…"

"No," Momoko whispered. "No, of course not, Miyako. He thinks he's being a burden on you and wants to exclude himself from your life, is all. And if you found this on your doorstep, then he must be near. Don't worry about it!"

"B-But," the blonde sniffled. "I thought he had opened up to me already. I don't want any enemies as Miyako-- Bubbles already has enough of those."

"Calm down, Miyako," Momoko said while soothingly rubbing her friend's back. "I'll find Boomer, I promise. I'll tell him everything's just a huge misunderstanding. That should fix things, right?"

"I-- I suppose," she whimpered as she wiped away a silent tear. This hurt Momoko to see her friend crying like this. Miyako must have really cared for Boomer and his safety to be like this.

"Ugh! I can't believe those Rowdyruffs. Always leaving a muck for me to clean up!" Momoko grunted as she sprinted away.

"Momoko!" Miyako cried. "Where are you going?"

"I'm off to find one of those Rowdyruff brats! No one makes my best friend cry and gets away with it!" Momoko blurted as she dashed off. This made Miyako smile as she dried her tears for Boomer. She realized how truly lucky she was to have such a wonderful friend.

"Oh, Momoko! You're going to miss class!" Miyako yelled out in realization, but she was already far from earshot. What a wonderful, yet _forgetful _friend Momoko was.

**o0o0o0o**

"Alright, I know exactly where to find Brick. He'll be much easier to find than Boomer, and I don't even know where to find Butch," Momoko said to herself as she walked to the skating park. Just as she had suspected, she found Brick on his skateboard at the same spot she had seen him the other day. "Hey! You!" she yelled.

"Ne, Brick, your girlfriend's here," one of the skaters mentioned to Brick as he chuckled.

"Not funny," Brick grunted. He walked from the ramps and half pipes to the irate Momoko down on the ground. "What do you want now? Isn't it a bit early for nagging?"

"I've had enough of your attitude!" Momoko spat. "I need to know where Boomer is, stat! I sure hope you're not harboring him, because something important needs to be clarified, here!"

"Like what?"

"Like, he's making one of my best friends totally miserable! Do you know how soft-hearted Miyako is? She can barely sleep knowing Boomer is somewhere out there by himself just because of a complication with her. Once my friends start to cry over a boy, then things get serious!"

"I really don't know where he is. Even if I did, I wouldn't say."

"That's only to be expected from a smug, selfish guy like you! Boomer probably paid you to help him lay low away from me and Butch. You just think about yourself, don't you? Can't you see that there are other people whose feelings need to be considered besides yours? I can't believe how totally self-centered a person can be! People like you just need to--"

Suddenly, Momoko's rant was cut off by a sudden motion. Brick dropped his skateboard, placed his hands on either side of Momoko's face, and crushed his lips onto hers. It was a rough kiss; almost harsh. It was like lighting that stroke the surface of the Earth.

"Mm!" Momoko was caught completely off guard, and raised her hand to slap Brick.

"Ugh," he grunted when her small palm hit the right side of his face.

"W-why did you kiss me?" Momoko demanded, both with shock and fury. But somewhere inside of her, she wished she hadn't stopped it. She liked the intensity and edginess of his kiss. Brick rubbed his right cheek with the back of his hand and spat on the ground.

"To make you shut up."

**Love Chronicles**

**Part III - Momoko - Lightning: End.**

_**Screaming Siopao: **_Oooh! It seems as if these two have quite an angsty relationship developing, hm? (: Stick around to see if Boomer is ever uncovered! And what about Butch and Kaoru? Will they have any more awesome scenes together? Remember that your reviews caused me to update after three months, so please continue! Peace!


	4. Swift

**Screaming Siopao: **I know, I know! I took so long to update again! I'm extremely sorry! First off, I had a writer's block. This chapter is noticeably shorter than the former ones. Also, summer has been really busy because I've had volleyball practice and summer reading work. I'll be a high school junior soon, so I'll be even more busy! Eeeek! Stay tuned and be patient with me, please!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Demashitaa! Powerpuff Girls Z _or its characters.

**Love Chronicles**

**Part IV - Swift**

**By: Screaming Siopao**

**Monday, November 17****th****;;**

"I. Can't. Stand. That. Boy!" Momoko screeched at the top of her lungs as she, Kaoru, and Miyako were on their way to school three days after Brick and Momoko met up at the skating park; three days after Momoko's first kiss was stolen by a most devious young man. "I can't believe I let him kiss me!"

"Well, you shouldn't have gone on about how selfish and blunt he was," Kaoru pointed out. "You pissed him off pretty bad."

"I couldn't help it. He just makes me so angry!" Momoko fumed.

"Calm down," Miyako said. "Don't worry about him. Just forget it all."

"Y-Yeah. You're right. He's just a worthless jerk…"

"Well?" Kaoru cocked her eyebrow at Momoko.

"Well, _what_?" Momoko queried in confusion.

"How was your first kiss?"

Momoko blushed.

"W-What a stupid question!" she yelled. "Of course it was horrible! Disgusting! I brushed my teeth like, five times!"

"You're such a drama queen," Kaoru said. "Well, did you at least get any info about Boomer's location?"

"Well, no. I was so angry that I just stormed home."

"Ugh, so now what?"

"It's alright," Miyako said. "I… I'm sure Boomer will turn up eventually. Maybe I should just work on patching things up with Taka-chan first."

"Are you sure, Miyako?" Kaoru asked. She nodded her head. "Then, I'll be here if you need me."

"Me too, of course!" Momoko exclaimed. Miyako smiled.

"Thanks, you two. But, I'll see you later. I have something to deliver to the office," she stated.

Miyako walked out of the classroom and strode down the spacious halls. She looked down and sighed. She was thinking pessimistic thoughts about both Boomer and Takaaki.

"_I can't take this anymore," _she thought in anxiety. _"I can't be content till I know Boomer is okay. I can't be happy until Taka-chan talks to me again. Nothing's going right. Everything is just miserable. I know my friends are there for me, but-- oomph!"_

Miyako bumped into someone-- a tall blonde student with broad shoulders. Yupp. You guessed it.

"T-Taka-chan!" she exclaimed. It had been a while since she came this close to him physically. "I--"

"Ah, Miyako," Takaaki said. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

"I-It's okay, it was my fault."

Silence.

"Look," they both said at once.

"Ah, you first," Miyako insisted. It was an awkward moment, and they could both agree on that. Neither of them had spoken to each other in almost a week. It felt like a century of pain.

"Well," Takaaki began. "I was actually on my way to your classroom to look for you. I wanted to say sorry for my behavior recently. I wanted to make it up to you."

"R-Really?"

"Yeah… I feel like a jerk," he admitted. "You know, for ignoring you for the past few days."

"N-No, it's okay," she assured him.

"No, it's not. I know it's not. So I want to take you out."

Miyako gasped. Her heart felt happy and light all of a sudden. She hadn't felt like this in a while, but it felt good. Finally, she could genuinely smile.

"I would love that!" she beamed. Takaaki stared on at her. His eyes didn't budge from her face. "T-Taka-chan?"

"A-Ah, sorry. I…" he whispered. "I've just missed you so much." He softly embraced her, as if she were made of glass. Miyako closed her eyes and sighed lightly.

"_Hnn… Taka-chan."_

"Hey, you two," a teacher called out from a classroom. "No PDA allowed. Get to your classes right away."

"H-Hai," Miyako called out, blushing. "I-I'll see you later?"

"Yeah. Let's meet at the shopping plaza at around… four o'clock?"

"Sounds good." Miyako responded with a smile. "Sounds great."

**o0o0o0o**

"Eeeek!" Miyako leaped into the air with joy. It was the end of the school day and everyone was just about ready to leave the classroom. The only ones left in the room were our three Powerpuff Girls. "I can't believe it!" Kaoru and Momoko looked on at their best friend and smiled.

"Calm down there, missy," Momoko advised. "You may wear yourself out before your date."

"No way," Miyako denied. "I have so much energy! I feel like I can fly!"

"Well, you kind of can…" Kaoru pointed out.

"Oh, you know what I mean."

"Best of luck! Have fun later today," Momoko said.

"I will. But…"

"But?" Momoko and Kaoru both said in unison.

"I feel a bit… guilty. That I've just given up on finding Boomer because I have a date with Taka-chan." Kaoru scoffed.

"You've been hunting for that boy endlessly. I honestly think you've put too much effort into it. You need a break, so just relax for this afternoon. Have a good time." Miyako pondered on this.

"Maybe you're right. I should just… let loose, right? Have fun?"

"Correct-a-mundo," Kaoru nodded.

"Who knows? Something juicy may cook up today." Momoko added with a mischievous wink.

**o0o0o0o**

Ahh. It really was a beautiful fall afternoon. The sun was a bright orange orb in the sky, but it wasn't too hot because Miyaki could feel a cool breeze circulating the atmosphere. She get to finally spend a wonderful evening with Taka-chan, her best friend and long-term crush.

The streets were unusually busy today. There were amazing sales in the stores for the fall season, and the area was jam packed with teens, students, and even a few adults. Poor Miyako was caught in a sea of an oblivious society.

"_Ugh, there's so many people pushing me. I-- I can't get through." _She glanced at her cell phone clock. 4:00. _"Shoot. I'm going to be late! Wait for me just a little bit longer, Taka-chan."_

The travel was hell, but she was determined. She so wanted to see him. She so longed for his touch once again. Maneuvering the crowds made her feel uneasy and tense. She felt as if someone was following her. She glanced around as she moved. All she saw was a bunch of unfamiliar faces in groups. Miyako shook off the anxious feeling and walked on. No need to be any more late than she already was. She began to slightly sprint, still having the strange feeling of being followed. She ran faster.

Finally. She arrived at the shopping plaza, just ten minutes late.

"Whew," she panted. _"I hope he'll forgive me…"_

Now, her task was to look for Takaaki. Geez, it was so crowded around here, too. Maybe he was around the food court area…

"Miyako!" she heard a voice call out. Taka-chan's voice. His most _wonderful _voice.

She turned around and spotted him across the street. He was standing by the jewelry store she often went to. She was so excited to see him. She just so longed to be with him again.S he began to run towards him without a single notion of hesitation.

"Oh! Hi Taka-ch--"

"Miyako!" he yelled at her with a fierce, intense tone. This startled her.

Miyako was already in the middle of the road. She looked over to her right and saw a bright, blinding light. There was also a deafening horn being blown into her delicate eardrums. She took in a breath of the light, autumn air.

"Wha--?"

Then, suddenly, Miyako felt her feet leave the pavement. She was lifted in a swift upward motion; it all happened within split second. She was moving so quickly that she barely had time to catch her breath. This agility was not human, and she knew it.

She felt her back crash to the ground.

And a body hovering over hers.

People crowded around the little incident.

She heard the weary voice of Takaaki in the distance, but the face in front of her seemed to block out the rest of the world.

Tears filled her eyes as she mouthed the figure's name:

"Boomer."

**Love Chronicles**

**Part IV - Swift: End.**


	5. Ice Cold

**Screaming Siopao:** Oh myy gosh! I haven't update ANY of my fics in forever! It is now November 12th, 2010 and the last time I updated_ Love Chronicles_ was last September (2009). I feel utterly terrible. But hey! My last volleyball season just ended so I have much more time on my hands now!

Do people still even follow my fanfics? Geez, I don't blame you guys if you don't. I feel like a failure for taking over a year to add a chapter. =(

But please, enjoy chapter five of _Love Chronicles_! Gosh, I miss writing this story.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own PPGZ or any of its characters. However, the plot is mine!

**Love Chronicles**

**Part V - Ice Cold**

**By: Screaming Siopao**

_The taste of her lips... it was like cherries._

_Hn. I hate how her temper is so unstable. She's so annoying. She's loud. She's a bit of an airhead._

_So why? What the hell. I shouldn't care about her._

_I can't get that Momoko out of my damn mind._

**o0o0o0o**

_I'm running away again. But I'm never too far away._

_I'm so glad that I saved Miyako right before that truck hit her. I was just in time, thank goodness._

_I don't want to cause her problems. She has someone else. That boy was there, I saw him._

_So I'm running away again. I can't face reality._

_But I'm always watching over her._

**o0o0o0o**

_I can't believe what's going on. Miyako... she's safe. I'm glad she's safe. But I feel like I should have been the one to rescue her._

_Who was that other boy? He keeps popping up out of nowhere. Is he trying to take her away from me?_

_I feel hopeless. I feel unneeded; unnecessary._

_I feel as if I could disappear from her life completely, and she would be completely fine._

**o0o0o0o**

_I'm so happy with her. It hasn't been too long, but I'm so glad to be with Kaoru._

_I haven't missed a day of her in that maid uniform of hers. She gets cuter everyday._

_The way she fits in my arms is so natural. I know she belongs there._

_I wasn't used to feeling so content._

**o0o0o0o**

**Tuesday, November 18th: **(The day after Miyako's almost-car-accident.)

"Miyako!" Momoko exclaimed as she embraced her friend the next morning. "I'm so so glad you're safe."

"You had us worried sick," Kaoru said. "I didn't believe you at first when you called us last night about the incident."

"Yeah, I'm alright. Don't worry," Miyako assured. "But... Taka-chan."

"That's right," Momoko remembered. "What happened to him?"

"He was so scared. He thought that I was injured or in shock, so he insisted that we should just go to my house. He took care of me there and made me dinner," Miyako explained. "I was glad that he cared, and it was cozy just being there with him. But, Boomer..."

"He ran off again, didn't he?" Kaoru guessed. Miyako nodded sadly.

"Don't worry, Miyako!" Momoko chirped as she patted her blonde friend's back. "If Boomer was able to save you, then that means he wasn't too far away. He must be pretty nearby. Perhaps you're just not noticing."

"That is true," Kaoru said. "Kind of like... a guardian. He'll appear when you need him."

Miyako sighed. A secret thought lingered in the back of her worried mind.

_"But Boomer... I need you all the time."_

**Saturday, November 22nd:**

It was getting chilly now. It was almost December, and all the teens tried making the best of the days before the snow would fall. This meant more people were out at the public parks, trying to get the best out of the cool breeze and the bright autumn sun before wintertime.

The skate parks were usually filled during Saturday afternoons. But one particular skater wasn't there this afternoon.

A boy known as Brick.

Today, he was strolling the streets of Tokyo with his skateboard tucked underneath his right arm. He stared at the sky as one lonely cloud drifted by, covering the sun for a few seconds. He was deep in thought, actually.

_I can't believe that I'm still thinking about her,_ he thought to himself. _It wasn't even a real kiss. But here I am... wasting my time, when I could be at the park on my board._

He remembered just about a week ago at the skate park. Momoko had come to yell at him about "being selfish and blunt." Whatever. She was crazy. She would not shut up, and all the other skaters were starting to stare. So what came into his mind in order to make her shut up? _Kiss _the damn girl.

He glanced at all the faces passing him on the sidewalk. Round faces, happy faces, tired faces... but none was the one that he was inwardly anticipating.

_Why am I expecting to bump into her?_

He sighed. Pathetic. Where was his life going? Where were his brothers' lives going? Boomer was constantly missing, and Butch... Butch...

Brick approached Cure Maid Café and stared into the window. Kaoru was working her shift as a server again. He saw his black-haired brother sitting there, speaking with Kaoru. Laughing and sipping iced tea.

Butch was happy.

He thought about going inside to cause a scene... but he just couldn't find the point in doing so. He felt totally disinterested.

So he decided to let them be. He should have been furious, at the moment. He should have gone in there and dragged Butch out, pushing down chairs, tables, and anything else in sight. But instead of feeling vexed, he felt indifferent. Butch's life choices were irrelevant to Brick now. He just didn't care anymore.

So instead, he turned around and walked towards the way he came. Back to the park, to kill some time before darkness hit.

Honestly, Brick was miserable. He and his brothers were never together anymore. They all were becoming so different. All that made him happy in the past was causing trouble with his brothers, and they couldn't even do that. It wasn't in there interests to wreak havoc anymore. They had all grown out of it. All Brick had was his skateboard, and quite frankly, that was all he truly needed.

Brick reached his destination at last, taking his sweet time to get to the park. What was the rush? He had nowhere else to be, and no one to see. He was a nobody. He sought no one, and no one sought him in return. By the time that he had arrived, that one cloud in the sky had multiplied. Countless dark spots occupied the sky, and a chilly wind surrounded the air. Miles away, thunder rolled like an angry lion. This was almost soothing to Brick. The park was lonely; all that had been there earlier sensed an impending storm, and left to go indoors.

All but one.

On the bench sat one solitary girl with a distinguishable red bow. She kicked pebbles beneath her feet and gave a depressed sigh.

"What am I doing here?" whispered the lonesome Momoko to herself. Thunder boomed from a far distance. "This is stupid."

She had arrived about half an hour ago and sat on the bench, pretending to be engrossed in some outdated magazine. Her feet somehow just guided her there. She knew why she was attracted to the park. It was because she could then watch a certain red-haired boy skate. It was sort of hypnotic, it seemed; the way he skated, that is. She was drawn to it, but didn't want to admit to it. Why? Because she despised him.

Momoko sighed. She gathered her belongings and sat up, only to bump into the chest of her company, whom she was not aware she even had in the first place.

"Ugh," she grunted, not noticing his face.

"Oi," he coolly greeted. Momoko recognized this voice and stepped back.

"B-Brick!"

"What are you doing here?"

"What? Do _you _own the park or something?" she asked rhetorically. "I can be here whenever I want!"

"Calm down, I-"

"_Excuse _me? I _am _calm!" she spat.

"Okay, okay, geez," he remarked, impatient. Why did he even greet her in the first place? He just wanted to skate.

"Don't get that tone while talking to me!" she screeched.

Brick rolled his eyes. Why should he listen to her? This little, emotionally unstable girl before him? She wasn't his mother. Well, he didn't really have a mother in the first place, but whatever. She was so bossy and controlling. She was a drama queen. He hated that. What a nuisance. He thought it best to ignore her and just get on with his skating. That is why he came here, after all. So, Brick stepped aside and walked towards the ramps. _All this girl does is cry over spilt milk,_ he thought.

"What! Ignoring me? That is so rude!" Momoko said in disbelief. "You know, you are just so-"

"Shut up," Brick said while stepping towards the ramps. Momoko raised an eyebrow.

"What was that?" she asked in surprise. _How dare he tell a lady to 'shut up!' _Brick turned around to face her, only to show an emotionless and bleak face.

"Shut. The. Hell. U-"

_Smack_.

More thunder rolled as Momoko's hand struck the flesh of Brick's face. This time, it was more audible. The storm was nearing. Momoko felt a rain drop fall onto the tip of her nose.

This hit definitely was much more powerful than the first one that she had unleashed on Brick just about a week ago. Brick actually rubbed his left cheek in order to soothe the pain. He felt hot blood rush quickly up to his face. He was looking down, covering his face with his shaggy red hair.

_Ow, _he thought to himself as he dropped his skateboard onto the pavement. _Not again... _This scenario seemed all too familiar to him. He should really learn the proper thing to say to a girl. Being indifferent only seemed to get him slaps right in the kisser.

"Brick," Momoko spoke in-between gritted teeth. More raindrops pattered onto the ground. _Pitter-patter._ Slowly, but surely. "You asshole." And with that, Momoko swiftly turned around to hide her embarrassed face.

All she had wanted to do was to watch him. His flawless moves, his amusing tricks on that slender board. What a fool she was. To sit there and wait for him. What had she expected? That he would just be so willing and open towards her? Brick's heart was cold- ice cold. She felt so stupid. I should have never come here, she thought as a single tear escaped from her eyes. She just wanted to get away from here; away from this jerk.

"Wait," Brick said as he grabbed Momoko's hand. Well, that's what he tried to do. But she turned around so quickly that he caught her waist instead.

_Pitter-patter. Drip-drop._

"Ngh," Momoko cringed at his touch. Brick literally was ice cold. His touch was chilling, even through her clothing.

Brick pulled Momoko in closer and held her by the waist from behind. His arms softly embraced her stomach. She was so tiny compared to him; so meek and fragile.

"Sorry," he whispered into her right ear. She shuddered. His breath was frigid, too. She was starting to wonder if Brick was made out of ice. "I... I didn't mean to say that. I didn't mean to... to hurt you."

For some reason, Brick felt human sympathy towards this girl for just a moment. Sure, he was rude to Momoko. He never took her seriously He couldn't even really stand her. But when she started turning around to leave him, he suddenly felt insecure. He had to make her stay with him, somehow.

He didn't want her to leave him.

He was afraid of being left alone.

He thought that if she left, then nobody would ever come looking for him ever again.

Momoko couldn't even process what Brick had just said. Her mind was so mixed up. She was in his arms, and sure, it felt awkward, but she also felt a sort of _protection_. She blushed madly.

"Wh-what's wrong with you?" she whispered lightly in the damp, autumn air.

The rain was pouring down harder now. Momoko's hair was soaked. Her clothes were drenched. Brick's clothes clung onto his body as the rain fell. The wet cloth stuck to him, and accentuated his muscular figure. His toned chest, his built abs, his strong arms... Momoko noticed this and blushed.

Brick didn't quite understand what she had meant by that question. Surely, there was something wrong with him. Hell, there were probably a bunch of things wrong with him. But all he could do was hold on tighter to that girl in his arms. He sniffed her hair. _Cherries..._

"I..." Brick gasped, "I don't know."

He rested his cheek on her head for support. He felt weak all of a sudden. His knees felt as if they would cave in at any moment. His head swooned and a dizzy sensation overtook his mind. There were only two words that he remembered saying just before the world before him blacked out:

"Help me."

**Love Chronicles**

**Part V - Ice Cold: End.**

**Screaming Siopao: **Please review! It will definitely inspire me to update in less than a year, haha! And follow me on tumblr! Username: zeftastic


	6. Promise

**Siopao: **_(07/06/2013)_ I don't even want to think about how long I left this story hanging... I'm a bad, _bad_ person. I know there's no excuse, but I was in a dark place for a bit and just recently became active again here on FF.N. No one probably reads this anymore but I hate dropping stories. I had to re-read this story of mine because I left it hanging for so long. Forgive me. -bows-

**Disclaimer:** I don't own PPGZ or its characters.

**Love Chronicles**

**Part VI - Promise**

**By: Screaming Siopao**

Brick felt a damp towel being placed on his forehead. He tried opening his eyes but the light from a lamp made him cringe and he immediately shut them at once. He could hear thunder rolling in the distance. From a nearby window, he listened to the raindrops collide onto the glass violently.

"Eh?" A girl's voice sounded surprised that he had moved. "You're up?"

"Urgh," Brick groaned, for that was the only thing that was able to escape his lips. He gave another attempt at opening his eyes, this time winning against the light of the lamp. He turned to his side, causing the damp rag to fall off his forehead. He saw a big bundle of orange hair adorned by a big, red bow. _"I'd know that getup anywhere..."_

"How are you—"

"Where the hell am I?" he interjected. Momoko pouted at his rudeness.

"In my room."

"What?" he asked as if he was appalled. He jolted himself up, despite the huge pang in his head. The walls were pink and there were at least a dozen or so posters of her male idols plastered onto it. It took all of Brick's might not to hurl all over her sheets. "Why would you take me here?"

"You passed out as it was starting to rain."

Brick recalled feeling unwell and remembered his last words before he blacked out: "help me."

_"Ugh, did I really say that? I didn't actually think she would."_

"Um," Momoko looked away, blushing. "Your clothes were soaked, so they're drying now... I gave you some of my pop's old clothes."

Brick looked down and, indeed, he was wearing different clothing from before. He smirked devilishly.

"Liked what you saw, eh?"

She took one of her pillows and hit him, the blush still evident on her face.

"Hey, is that any way you should be treating a guest who just passed out?" He shielded himself with his arms. "Why did you take me here, anyway?"

Momoko paused. Had he really just asked her why?

"You... You got sick and fainted. Did you expect me to leave you?" she questioned while raising an eyebrow.

"Well... yes," Brick bluntly replied. "It's what any one else would have done." He paused for a few seconds. "It's what _everyone_ else has done."

The red-haired girl felt a tug at her heart.

"Is... Is that the reason why you're like that?" she asked, eyes downcast.

"Huh?" he asked, creasing his eyebrows in confusion. "Like _what_?"

"So... blunt and cold."

There was silence. An uncomfortable atmosphere filled Momoko's room as she sat there beside Brick, gripping tightly at the edge of her shirt. She was about to stand up in order to leave, but then she heard a low chuckle come from Brick's throat.

"It's just who I am now." He paused. "It's because I'm so alone now. Not even my brothers are around."

Momoko looked at the boy before her— the boy who she had believed to be a major brat, an immature child, and a cold jerk. Yet, what he wasn't was a waste of her time.

_"Brick is really struggling. He can't handle being alone, even though he tries so hard to be strong." _Though she believed that she hated him, the thought broke her heart. No one deserved to feel that lonely.

She put her hand to his forehead which, earlier that evening, was majorly burning up. He flinched at her touch.

"What are you—"

"Don't push yourself. You've cooled down a bit but you still have a slight fever."

Brick scoffed.

"I'm not a child. I'm leaving."

"I don't think so."

"I am. Where's my skateboard?"

"I hid it. You won't get it back until you've healed."

"What? You're insane."

"No, I'm not."

"Why are you doing this to me?"

Momoko stared at him, her face firm and her eyes solid with determination. There was no way she was going to let him go out there and risk hurting himself during the midst of a storm.

"Because I care."

Brick's eyes widened, just a bit. He tried masking his emotions right away but Momoko could tell that her words had an impact on him. Had he never heard such words before? Were they so foreign to him? She wanted to let him hear these words. She didn't want him to feel alone anymore.

"You... care." A pause. He creased his eyebrows yet again, but this time in deep thought. He scoffed in self pity. "No one's ever said that to me before."

"Well, I mean it." Brick looked on at her and noticed a twinge of scarlet on her fair cheeks.

_"Damn. She can be kind of cute sometimes, for someone who is normally pretty annoying."_ He quickly shook the strange thoughts from his head.

Momoko then stood up from her seat and began walking towards the exit. Brick didn't know why, but he suddenly felt a sense of panic as soon as she was starting to leave.

"Wait—" The word just automatically slipped out, with him having no control. He immediately shut his mouth and looked down to hide his embarrassment. _"What's gotten into me?"_

"What is it?" Momoko spun around and stared at the flustered-looking boy on her bed.

"W- Where are you going?" he whispered.

"I'm going to get you some food," she stated. "I'll be right back."

Brick looked up at her with the softest eyes that Momoko had ever seen. The usual hardness of his masculine face was gone. All of his bitterness was washed away. He looked sincere and even... _scared_.

"Promise?" he asked softly. She couldn't help but smile at this side of Brick that she wasn't so used to seeing. If she could get a glimpse at this part of him, even if it were only to be once in a while, then she actually wouldn't mind being with him like this more often.

"Promise."

**Love Chronicles**

**Part VI - Promise: End.**

**Siopao: **Gahhh I know it's short. But I have to head to work now and I REALLY wanted to upload this chapter. Again, please forgive me. Please review, if you think this sorry soul is worthy of it!


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